Coupler



E. P. KINNE ET AL COUPLER Filed Sept. '7, 1928 Jan. 1, -1 935.

Patented Jan. 1, 1935 comm r Edmund P. Kinnefandj FrankH. Kayler, Alliance,

Ohio, assignors toAmerican Steel Foundries,

Chicago, 111;, a corporation of New Jersey- 1 pp i ation Scptember'L192 8, seriaINo: 364,415

S Claims ((1213-69) r F- This invention pertains .to draft rigging-ion railway rolling stock, and more particularly to that class of draft rigging especially designed for application to the underframes otrailway tears, and includes in combination with car sills,

followers-.1

means for connecting a coupler to the: draft mechanism and for connecting the draft mechanism to the car underframe. V i It" is an object of this invention to provide in combination a vertical key connection adaptedv to permit relative. movement between the yoke and thecoup1er,-means for supporting and guid ing' at least one of the followers, andmeansior limiting. the forward movement of one of isaid Another objectisgto obtain'a strong andserviceable; radial; shankconnection in. the ;simplest possiblegimanner; one whichl will have the least possible isuriacesisubiectwto wear; which result in slackvin the, connection; one in which radial (or angling) action of the couplershank ispro vided for whilemaintaining equalized pull on the.yoke:jaws 'intension, and full butt end eon-v tact area and equalized pressure on draitgear or followerunder bufiing stresses; 'Another additional object is to provide-a construction: wherein the-coupler shank? permits of its being applied to cars: having the accepted A2. R1: A. standard design for integral striking;

2 casting and" coupler carrier; and wherein p the angling of the coupler islimited only by the-con--' tact: of shank: sides" against, the sides of the coupler opening in the-striking casting and not by contact with the yoke jaws, as inthe present arrangement v Yetanother object wherein the pivotal actionbetween the coupler andyoke isvprovided for by the same-piece which;

connects them: for ppllingaction, that is, the vertical'key, wherein, there arena; superfluous connections with keys or small bearing pieces and wherein the vertical key is of ideal design to provide large bearingsurface, free pivotal action and large area: to resistshearing; i e v A further object is to provide a; construction wherein generous bearin area is provided at key bearings and? butt bearings, insuring minimum wear, and; wherein large sectional areas in ten-' sion; compression-and shear are also provided. Still further object of a the arrangement is to provide a construction; in which the coupler angles freely: regardless of-the compression in the draft gear 'tQthereby permit coupling on curves without delay or effort and in order to eliminate transmission, of .th side-mov nt tothe coup isto provide a constructionkey to thereby avoid wearOf the key and keyways and to prevent any blows on the cotter or: other-keyfasteners; 1 v Another further object is toprovide a-construction' which isinexpensive: to make andmaintain and one which fulfillsall-"requirements of manufacture and service, and which'also is readily. replaceable by parts ohstandard; construction; without material changes in the ,car or draft appliance. it v Still :further; additional" object is to provide, coupler mechanism haying a -ibufiings Piece separate from the coupler shank,;permittingdesign s f e co p r st uc ure? o; ecur max mum strength; in buffing; areas to resist compressive stresses, and in such, construction whereby re;- cesses in thecouplerbutt usedto cooperate with, small attachinglips ona radial butt piece which may become: broken off in service and result in the loss ofthe swivel,; be-eliniinated,- and to provide a coupler oft-such construction-that if saidcoupler fails, itis'only necessary to remove and replace the coupler proper. v 1 v a Other, objects; features, capabilities; and advantages are, comprehended by the invention, as

willllater appear and as are inherently possessed thereby. 1 l 1 v V r p a Referring to the drawing; e Figure l 1 is -a;- longitudinalsectional top plan. view ofa draft appliance made in accordance with the: invention, the same being; shown in operative position with respect to the draft sills;

FigureZ is a longitudinalsectional view in olevation of the ,draft applianceshown inFigure 1 of thedrawing; and: i t

Figure 3 is a longitudinal-fragmentary view incross-section taken in-the plane representedby line '3-3' of Figured of the-drawing;

Referring now more in-particular to the drawing, an embodiment selected tolillustratethe'in vention includes draft sills: of any form; such as I-beam or channel section, which are spaced apart or have secured theretoa suitable number of straps or carry irons 21. The forward ends ofthe sills are secured to-a striking casting-2 2 as by rivets 23, which maybe securedas mp4 to end sills and floor 26, the saidstriking'casting being preferably provided with a bearing ZT for supporting the coupler shank 28of the conpler member 29. The striking casting 22 may conveniently be of such form as to extendinwardly oftthe sills andohavingmembers to pro; vide stops 30 at: the afterrends of said. casting. The striking casting alsohas areturn portion 31 providing a stop 32 limiting forward movement of the yoke.

Back stop casting 33 may be provided between the draft sills 20 and secured thereto as by rivets 34, the same being preferably attached adjacent the cross bearers or bolsters 3.5. The back stop casting may conveniently be of such form as to have a portion extending toward the striking ,cast-. ing and provided with stops 36. A yoke 3'7 is provided which is of the vertical plane type, said yoke being provided with the usual draft gear disposed between the front and rear followers 38 and 39 respectively. This yoke is provided with forward ends or jaws 40 having flattened portions 41 and 42 adapted to provide a generous bearing area against the stop 32 and at the rear of the lower portion of the striking casting ad-v jacent the bearing 2'7.

The yoke 37 at the forward end of the jawsisi i provided with vertically disposed straps 43 so disposed, however, that they in no way impede the angling movement of the coupler 29. The yoke is provided at its forward endwith elongated vertically disposed apertures or keyways 44 adapted to accommodatea vertical key 45, a cage'or housing 46 depending below the yoke being provided adjacent the lower keyway 44 for retaining the vertical key in operative position. This housing is formed with facing flanges 47 and 48 adapted to support a key retaining locking plate 49 adapted tobe inserted-through the'aperture between the flanges-and locked in place-on said flanges by means of the removable key 50.

Disposed between the coupler shank and the extending spaced guides-77 to maintain it in proper operative position with respect to the coupler butt. Under normal conditions of operation, that is, when the-coupler is under neither compression nor tension stresses, the arcuate forward face 76 contacts the coupler butt and'the rear flat surface contacts the front'follower 38. The guides 77 upon theupper-and lower sides of the buffing piece-position it between the yoke members, the guides extending forward and lying on the free side of the central portion of the shank. Under buffing action, the piece moves rearward withthe coupler butt and follower; or

draft gear, the stresses being transmitted to th'e side sill through the rearfollower 39 'or rear'of draft gear, and stops 36, it being noticed that a maximum bearing area is provided between the coupler shank and draft gear through the buffing piece, In this position, the guides 77 extend on either side of the shank though they are so positioned that angling of the coupler may readily take place. In draft, the coupler movesforward and away from-the follower and pulls the yoke forward to transmit the stresses to theidraft sills through the front follower 38, or' front of draft gear, and the stops 30, all as has been particu larly described.

The buffing piece'is maintained within the yoke and supported by the lower member of the yoke and isfree to move forward with the yoke and maintains substantially the same position with respect to the coupler yoke and butt as in normal position. Should, however, the draft gear be subjected to a sudden forward jerk, the buffing piece may remain in close proximity to the follower or draft gear instead of moving forward as a unit with the coupler shank, it being maintained in position by cooperation of the guides 77 with the-yoke portion 78, it being further guarded against misplacement by the fact that it is closely positioned between the stops 30, and this guiding action of the bufiing piece is true for any intermediate position which it may assume between the extreme positions of bufiing and draft.

While we have herein described and upon the drawing shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may comprehend other constructions, arrangements of parts, details and features without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim: 7

' 1. In a draft appliance, the combination of a vertical plane yoke having upper and lower straps, a draft gear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said straps having shoulders spaced rearwardly of the forward end thereof, and means interposed between said gear and vertical plane yoke having upper and lower straps,a draftgear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said straps being provided with shoulder portions inspaced relation -to the ends thereof, and means between said gear and coupler adapted to provide bear.- ing surface for said coupler, said means having parts embracing said shoulder portions whereby the same is maintained in operative position.

3. In a draft appliance, the combination of a yoke, a draft'gear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said yoke having a thickened head portion to provide inwardly extending portions having shoulders in spaced relation to the sides thereof, and means between said gear and coupler adapted to provide bearing surface for said coupler, said means having. parts engaging said shoulder portions whereby the same is maintained in operative position.

4. In a draft appliance, the combination of a yoke, a draft gear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said yoke having straps provided with oppositely disposed shoulder portions, and means interposed between said draft gear and coupler adapted to providebearing surface for said coupler, said means having pairs of spaced arms disposed to engage said shoulder portions to prevent lateral displacement thereof whereby the same is maintained in operative position.

5. In a draft appliance, the combination of a yoke, a draft gear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said yoke having a hooded head provided with oppositely disposed shoulder portions, and means interposed between said draft gear and coupler adapted to provide bearing surface for said coupler, said means having spaced pairs of forwardly extending guide arms adapted to engage said shoulder portions to prevent lateral displacement thereof whereby the same is maintainedin operative position.

6. In a draft appliance, the combination of a yoke, a draft gear carried by said yoke, a coupler mounted in said yoke, said yoke having a hooded head having upper and lower walls provided with inwardly disposed portions having shoulder portions, and means interposed between said draft gear and coupler adapted to provide bearing surface forsaid coupler, said means having pairs of upper and lower forwardly extending guide arms adapted to engage said shoulder portions to prevent lateral displacement thereof whereby the same is maintained in operative position.

7. In a draft appliance, the combination of spaced sills, stops on said sills, and draft means operatively carried by said sills and cooperating with said stops, said means including a vertical plane yoke disposed between said sills and provided with spaced shoulder portions, a follower cooperating with said yoke and extending laterally for engagement with said stops, a coupler movably connected to said yoke, and coupler cooperating meansnormally disposed between said stops, said coupler cooperating means having parts engaging said shoulder portions to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

8. In a draft appliance, the combination of spaced sills, stops on said sills, and draft means operatively carried by said sills and cooperating with said stops, said means including a vertical plane yoke disposed between said sills and provided with spaced shoulder portions, a follower cooperating with said yoke and stops, a coupler having an arcuate bearing portion adjacent said follower, a vertical pin loosely pivoting said coupler to said yoke, and means between said follower and coupler and cooperating with said arcuate bearing portion to provide for substantially constant bearing between said coupler and follower irrespective of the horizontal angling of said coupler, said means being normally disposed between said stops, said coupler cooperating means having parts engaging said shoulder portions to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

9. In a draft appliance, the combination of a yoke, a draft gear carried by said yoke, a coupler connected to said yoke, said yoke having oppositely disposed straps and connecting straps therebetween adjacent their forward end, said yoke having shoulder portions rearwardly of said connecting straps, and means between said gear and coupler adapted to provide a bearing surface for said coupler, said means embracing said shoulders for maintaining the same in operative position.

EDMUND P. KINNE. FRANK H. KAYLER. 

